BALESFIRE PTY LIMITED trading as THE GUTTER SHOP v JAMIE ADAMS and Others; JAMIE ADAMS v BALESFIRE PTY LIMITED trading as THE GUTTER SHOP and Others [2006] NSWCA 112

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: BALESFIRE PTY LIMITED trading as THE GUTTER SHOP v JAMIE ADAMS and Others; JAMIE ADAMS v BALESFIRE PTY LIMITED trading as THE GUTTER SHOP and Others [2006] NSWCA 112 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 28 February 2006, 1 March 2006

JUDGMENT DATE: 15 May 2006

JUDGMENT OF: Mason P at 1; Santow JA at 117; Hislop J at 118

DECISION: Appeal dismissed with costs. For further orders see pars [115], [116]

CATCHWORDS: NEGLIGENCE – Duty of care – Principal – Whether owed to third parties for torts of independent contractor – Only where principal authorises contractor's tortious acts – Authorisation as express or implied – Whether authorisation may create liability in principal to the independent contractor for damage or loss sustained by contractor. - NEGLIGENCE – Occupiers liability – General principles – Concurrent occupation. - NEGLIGENCE – Construction safety – Requirement that any person who directly or by their servants or agents carries out construction work owes a duty of care – May be more than one person owing duty – Head contractor and subcontractor may be jointly liable – Construction Safety Regulations 1950, regs 73 and 74. (ND)

Civil Liability Act 2002 Construction Safety Act 1912 LEGISLATION CITED: Construction Safety Regulations Home Building Act 1989 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 Supreme Court Act, s75A(10)

A C Billings & Sons Ltd v Riden [1958] AC 240 Almeida v Universal Dye Works Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 264 Almeida v Universal Dye Works Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 156 Bhambra v Roet [2003] NSWCA 393 Booksan Pty Ltd v Wehbe [2006] NSWCA 3 Boylan Nominees Ltd v Sweeney [2005] NSWCA 8, (2005) ATR 81-780 BP Refinery (Western Port) Pty Ltd v Shire of Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 Canberra Form Work Pty Ltd v Civil & Civic Ltd (1982) 67 FLR 66 Darke v El Debal [2006] NSWCA 86 CASES CITED: Davey v Skinner [1961] SR(NSW) 648 H C Buckman & Son Pty Ltd v Flanagan (1974) 133 CLR 422 Heatherington v Mirvac Pty Ltd (1999) ATR 81-514 Lenz v Trustees of the Catholic Church & Anor [2005] NSWCA 446 Papatonakis v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1985) 156 CLR 7 Rockdale Beef Pty Ltd v Carey [2003] NSWCA 132 Stevens v Brodribb Sawmilling Co Pty Ltd (1986) 160 CLR 16 Thompson v The Commonwealth (1969) 70 SR(NSW) 398 Thompson v Woolworths (Queensland) (2005) 221 CLR 234 Todorovic v Moussa [2005] NSWCA 100 Wheat v E Lacon & Co Ltd [1966] AC 552